Craft: Exploring Creativity

Sometime categorized as “American Noir” Ben De Le Cour’s songwriting grew out of his musical upbringing, broad influences, and the evolution of his storytelling. De Le Cour, who will perform in Columbus with Six String Concerts on February 21st, reflects on his roots, discovering songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, and his journey from metal and punk rock to folk music. We discuss his interest in character-driven story songs and the importance of conflict in art. De Le Cour also talks about his song “The Devil Went Down to Silver Lake,” a meditation on the Charlie Daniel’s song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” but this time exploring the pitfalls of artistic shortcuts. We discuss authenticity and I try out a bad joke about it.

Listen in and then see him at Six String.

Tim Kazurinsky was part of the cast of Saturday Night Live when I first started watching it and kind of getting the humor. He had many memorable characters, including a scientist who identified sex in a sports car as a “four on the floor-gasm,” a joke that may or may not have gotten me into trouble in junior high when overheard by a particularly tightassed teacher. He’ll be in town with Columbus Galaxycon on December 5-7 so listen in to learn more about his great career and then see him in person!

The Accidentals, violinist Sav Madigan and cellist Katie Larson, have been captivating audiences since a little after they met in a Traverse City, Michigan, high school. Their latest album, “Timeout 3,” is the most recent addition to their Timeout series of cowritten albums. Sav describes how the album was born during the pandemic, leveraging unexpected free time to collaborate remotely with their musical heroes. This new album continues to build on the storytelling and emotional processing initiated in earlier projects.

Their new-found freedom has them exploring edgier lyrics, including some that necessitated original and radio-friendly versions. Songs like “Better Than Me” use explicit language as a powerful response to individuals in the music industry who attempt to belittle the band’s unique voice.

They also discuss their “Play It Forward Again and Again” nonprofit initiative that brings instruments and assistance to student musicians,

Catch the Accidentals’ return to Columbus on November 21st with Six String Concerts

Ohio musician David Wilcox has released over 20 albums, including his latest The Way I Tell the Story. Wilcox discusses his songwriting process as a form of emotional and traumatic event processing. He emphasizes the joy of exploring feelings through music, how songs evolve to offer new meanings, and the balance between playing new and old songs for his audience. He also shares insights on connecting with listeners and the transformative power of songwriting.